Student walkouts in Jefferson County continued for the third straight day as students from Chatfield High School and Dakota Ridge High School protest in Littleton, Colo. (AP Photo/The Denver Post, RJ Sangosti)

(Newser)
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High school students in a big Colorado district walked out for the third straight day today to protest proposed changes to their history curriculum. Today's protests, the largest yet, mean that about half of all high school students in Jefferson County have participated this week, reports the Denver Post. The protests, which follow a teacher "sick-out" last week, are in response to proposed curriculum changes by the conservative-led school board, reports the Christian Science Monitor. Critics say the board wants to sanitize American history by making sure that materials "promote citizenship, patriotism, essentials and benefits of the free-market system, respect for authority, and respect for individual rights." Nor should they "encourage or condone civil disorder, social strife, or disregard of the law."

Amid the controversy, the board has postponed discussion of the curriculum review until mid-October. The dispute echoes similar battles over what schools should be teaching kids in Texas and South Carolina, notes the AP. "We shouldn't be encouraging our kids to think that America is a bad place," school board member Julie Williams has said of her proposal in the suburban Denver district. The controversy has political implications as well, with the Monitor noting that Jefferson County is a "swing district in a swing state." As for the sight of hundreds of students walking out of school en masse, the Post knows what you're thinking: "I'm not going to lie, there are kids here [just skipping class]," one student organizer tells the newspaper. "But the majority of us are out here for the right reasons."

I choose to think of a lot of good that the US has done: the clean air act, clean water act, National Parks and conservation movement, starting & funding the UN (after the League of Nations), Peace Corps, foreign aid, disaster relief and recovery (food and medical supplies after disasters), free speech/press/religion, SOME of our successful diplomacy and peace accords (Camp David, START etc.) but it is granted, a mixed bag...on the other hand...using atomic weapons on civilians (half a million killed outright), land mines left in Cambodia & Laos that cripple and maim still today, involvement in Vietnam & Iraq, funding C.A. contras, our providing military aid and weapons/support to totalitarian regimes & dictators, future legacy of nuclear waste, carbon impact and over consumption of global energy reserves, food, and resources, nuclear and atomic testing on civilians, funding the rebuilding of Europe and Japan after WW 1 & 2 (and making a hefty profit on their foreign debt), global imperialism and geo-political impact such as forceful relocation of civilians and peaceful nations, taking other sovereign lands for our own territories (tribal, HI, C. Pacific, etc.). It is therefore hard to portray our country fairly and accurately in either strictly a good or bad moral light, I like Zinn's "A People's history.." as a good starting point for discussion.

kumatose

Sep 25, 2014 4:44 PM CDT

People addicted to Faux News are incapable of understanding the core aspect of the issue. They're actually blaming liberals for this. Republicans aren't capable of governing... they don't have the comprehension skills.

Ms_Angie

Sep 25, 2014 12:43 PM CDT

The old saying... Those who don't remember the past.... This is just so wrong, why are they altering our history? Are they ashamed of it? If we don't teach our children about our past, how can they learn not to repeat the mistakes.... There is so much more I want to say, but at the moment I am at a loss for words to describe what this will do to our youth. And how this will stunt their ability to learn and move forward. Thank you.